A Mother's Pride
by Arise Sir Knight
Summary: For Merlin, she would do anything...


**A MOTHER'S PRIDE**

Hunith realized she'd made a mistake the first time her new husband slapped her across the face throwing her against the door. Her intentions had been honorable. As an unmarried mother with a bastard child, she needed protection from the small minded village people.

She'd been a friend of the dying Marta and when her widowed husband had offered to take her and her kid in, she had seen a solution to her problems. She would be a married woman respected in the sight of the other women.

Her son was seven years old. She was healthy and strong and well able to look after the labourer's two children and the small rented cottage which came with his job. She was frugal and clean, a capable provider as a farm worker and a good cook. There was no reason for this man to be rough with her.

The marriage promises were celebrated by the locals mainly to enjoy the free ale and food but some of the women had looked at her askance as she made her promises.

She knew that Mr. Hew Snodgrass had his good days and his bad days. She'd been privileged to Marta 's problems long enough but the kids missed their mother and she had promised her friend to look after them just as her friend had promised to take over her boy should anything happen to her.

Bridget was rising fourteen and a good kid. She was loving and appreciative of anything which Hunith did for her. She seldom spoke of her mother but when they were alone she liked to cuddle next to Hunith and she happily helped with the cleaning and the cooking.

Her brother Hal at sixteen, already considered himself a man and had got a job at the local inn and was working with the hostler who had charge of the horses. His father ridiculed him but he was faithful to his job receiving a promotion to assistant hostler and stayed out of his father's way when he knew one of his moods was threatening.

Hunith smiled at her Merlin. He resembled his father, the love of her life in colouring and he had the most beautiful blue eyes which in the firelight sometimes seemed to be hazel. He was a good, demanding nothing more that to be loved, fed, occasionally played with and permitted to be with her. He was the love of Hunith's life.

Seven months into the marriage, Hunith realized that she had fallen pregnant. She kept the secret to herself hoping that the baby growing within her was a little girl. Her son was thriving and she had hopes of the same for this baby. She knew that many babies never even made it to the toddler age but she would do everything within her power to keep the baby safe.

Mr. Snodgrass was less than pleased to find out that there was going to be another mouth to feed and another person to clothe and house. Hunith assured him that she would work as long as she could and that the baby could wear the clothes her own son had when he had been younger.

Bridget was thrilled, another baby in the family. However, her enthusiasm seemed to wane the heavier Hunith became. As close as they were, Hunith was unable to get the girl to explain her change in feelings.

It was Hal who finally shed some light on the situation when he had remarked that he was surprised when Hunith returned from the fields as he had been sure that she was in the house during the afternoon when his father had been home.

The way the boy hung his head and turned red made Hunith realise that there might been another reason, other than respecting her condition as to why her husband had not been demanding his conjugal rights. In a poor village, there was always a woman who'd do it money.

Merlin had never warmed to his stepfather. Once Hunith was pregnant, he started to become frightened of the man. He noticeably stayed out of his way. He flinched when the man walked past him. He hid from him if Hunith ever left him alone in the cottage. He never told her but he had secrets.

Hunith was reaching her time of confinement. She was attended by a woman with experience in birthing babies and together they reminisced about babies the two of them had delivered over the past years.

By dawn, Merlin had a brand new half sister. The eight year old was mesmerized. This baby belonged to him as much as to his mam. The only cloud on the horizon was his stepfather who ignored the baby. In his mind, he couldn't understand how anyone could ignore such a beautiful little girl.

Due to her husband's indifference, Hunith got to choose the baby's name and she chose Gretel the name of her mother. Merlin loved the baby and used to rock her crooning her name over and over. He whispered secrets to her and promised she would always have him as her guardian. The baby would smile up at him as if they had a secret all of their own.

Life returned to normal, the baby thrived. Hunith returned to the farm with Gretel strapped to her back.

One day, returning to the cottage she was surprised to see a mob in the lane. There was a lot of shouting and she quickened her pace as she heard Merlin screaming.

Racing up the path, she saw a standoff between Merlin and his stepfather. Bloodied and battered on the floor beyond Merlin was Hal. Bridget was nowhere to be seen.

Merlin stood there with his hands chest high stretched out as if warding off evil. Hew was screaming at him making no sense.

The village blacksmith arrived and tried to calm Hew down but to no avail. He was out of his mind with fury, primarily directed at Merlin. The blacksmith nodded at two others; they stepped forward and grabbed Hew's arms, twisting them behind his back. There was a definite crack as a bone was broken.

The village headman walked up to Merlin who was now silent and picking him up handed him to his mother. Another village woman led Hunith and her two children to her own home.

Merlin was mumbling, something about Hew killing Hal. Hunith didn't know if her battered stepson could be saved. Suddenly she realised that Bridget was missing. She handed Gretel to the women and told Merlin to look after his baby sister. He had calmed down noticeably and sat beside the baby…a young boy caught up in an adult situation.

By the time Hunith got back to her home, Hal had been moved outside, he was alive but unconscious. One of the village healers was working on him. He had been badly beaten. The bruising would last for a long time.

The men had removed Hew and had him sitting against a tree. He screamed in fury when he saw Hunith entering the cottage, calling her everything under the sun, none of it complementary.

Hunith could account for Merlin, Gretel and Hal. She walked into the cottage trying to ignore the blood on the rush mat. There were still people outside and she was surprised to see her neighbour's husband guarding the alcove where Hew and she used to sleep. She knew by the look on his face that he was there to prevent her from entering.

She looked at him beseechingly but he just shook his head. Hunith screamed...

-0-0-

She came to two days later with a fuzzy head and her neighbour sitting beside her on the cot saying soothingly, "The children need you, Hunith."

She opened her eyes and realised that the warm body beside her was Merlin who was fast asleep. She touched him lovingly and held out her arms for baby Gretel.

Her neighbour said, "Molly Hodge looked after her, she had plenty of milk for an extra mouth. She's a bonnie baby, Hunith. She's lucky to have a caring brother. Merlin has been wonderful; he's a credit to you, My Dear."

Trying to remember what had happened, the pieces slowly crept into her consciousness, hearing Merlin screaming, seeing Hal all bloodied on the floor, cringing at the language coming out of her husband's mouth and seeing Roger blocking her entry to their sleeping area. She turned to her friend and whispered, "Bridget…?" Mary shook her head.

Tears streamed down Hunith's face, she had been unable to save her stepdaughter. She gave a little sob and managed to form the words, "Hal?"

"He is holding his own. His leg is badly damaged and his face took a lot of the beating but he has taken some broth and asked for you. He's with the Carter family."

Hunith never asked after her husband. Her life with him was finished; for the sake of Merlin and the baby Gretel, she would move away. She managed the following day to visit Hal. The condition of her stepson shocked her. He however managed a smile when he saw her and mumbled something about not being able to get him off Bridget as he was too strong. Hunith sat holding his hand until he fell asleep.

Merlin was the one with all the answers but as a young boy of eight, he had pushed them as far back in his mind as he could. He had seen Hew on more than one occasion when his mother was in the fields, grab Bridget and take her into the alcove. When his stepfather left, he would go and sit with her holding her hand as she cried, telling her that he would save her.

-0-0-

On the day in question, Hew had come home midday, seeing Bridget playing with Merlin had annoyed him. He had chased him out the house and grabbed his daughter and taken her to his bed. Merlin sat outside the cottage with his hands over his ears trying to block out the voices, one angry one pleading. He sat frozen as the awful noises washed over him.

He opened his eyes when he felt an arm on his shoulder, it was Hal. "Merlin, I'm on my way to the smithy want to ride the horse?" Merlin had looked up the fear apparent on his face; Hal noticed the tear stained face, "What is it?"

Merlin said sadly, "Bridget!"

Hal dropped the rope attached to the halter and charged into the cottage. There was an outburst of yelling, some muffled shouting and then what Merlin recognised as the sound of fists hitting flesh. He stood up and walked into the cottage; his stepfather had his son on the floor and was beating the shit out of him. Merlin crept round them and slipped into the alcove, he didn't understand what he saw but he knew that Bridget was dead.

Turning to the main room, he felt the power and holding out his hand he sent Hew flying back against the stone hearth. It seemed to wind him and he slipped to the floor. He went over to Hal but he wouldn't answer him.

His stepfather staggered up and came at him. Merlin could only hold out his hands to ward the man away and it seemed to work, a barrier separated them.

"You little bastard, I'll kill you for this…"

Merlin did the only thing that an eight year old could do; he opened his mouth and screamed for his mother.

-0-0-

But things went from bad to worse for Hunith, she was taken in by the head villager's family until the good weather came which would allow her to leave the village and find a new place to live. She never asked after her husband or any settlement, she intended to leave with the clothes on her back, with her son and daughter wearing the wedding band that would make her acceptable in a new village.

Hal had survived and had been taken back by the inn's owner and given a place to stay above the horses. He was a conscientious young man and Hunith felt safe leaving him.

Just before spring finally arrived, a nasty sickness hit the village and Gretel was one of the little ones who did not survive. Merlin was grief stricken; his mother put her mourning on one side so she could deal with her son. The last half year had been difficult for the boy and he also got sick. Hunith was determined that she would not leave Merlin beside his sister in the cold earth. She used every remedy she could think off and spent hours spooning broth into him. Slowly, he began to be more alert and one day said, "Mam, I couldn't leave you all alone."

The floodgates opened and Hunith cried for her little daughter and her brave boy. He patted the cot beside him and she lay down and took him in her arms and whispered, "I promise you, Merlin, it will get better."

-0-0-

Merlin grew into a handsome young man, there was still the occasional spark of gold in his eyes and Hunith would smile, he was his father's son. They had battled the storms and were now doing well. Hunith had settled in the little village of Ealdor. She was a respected healer and midwife and still wore her wedding band not out of love for her husband but out of necessity for her son.

Merlin sometimes talked about their time with Hew but kept most of the bad things he remembered to himself. He could see no use in opening old wounds and hurting his mam. His stepbrother Hal had married the hostler's daughter and was now a father himself.

As her son grew, Hunith knew that she had decisions to make. He deserved more than living in a poor village, she knew that he was special. Over the years, she had diligently tried to make contact with her family and an older male relative seemed to be a good choice. She would miss Merlin but she knew that he needed guidance and she encouraged him to leave her to make his fortune…but that was the beginning of another story.

**THE END**


End file.
